Dispatched by their ambitious father to snag a titled husband, Beatrice Brent and her twin sister, Cecilia, attend a house party with an array of eligible gentlemen. Defiantly ignoring her father’s wishes, Beatrice flirts shamelessly with Lord Jessup Pennistan, a gamer with scandal in his past—and the one man her father has warned her against. But when flirting goes too far, Beatrice suddenly finds herself engaged and, worse, estranged from her family. Though convinced that her fiancé’s wicked ways will bring nothing but heartache, Beatrice is powerless against Jess’s masterful seduction and the anticipated delights of the marriage bed.

A gambling man who has lost more than his family is willing to forgive him for, Jess quickly realizes that compromising Beatrice was the best mistake he ever made. But to keep her he must right the wrongs of the past, reclaim his lost fortunes, and place the boldest wager of his life. For now he has everything to win . . . and everything to lose.

My Review:

3 out of 5 Goodreads Stars

I picked One More Kiss up because I love historical fiction novels. Also it was the fifth in a series, but you didn’t need to have read the other books to understand this one, which I thought was quite nice.

While reading this book, I noticed that Blayney spent a lot of time describing things that could have been over in a paragraph. Example: The chicken race. It went on for a few pages but wasn’t integral to the plot and slowed things down.

Cecilia was the most annoying character in the book. She was said to be the prettiest of the two sisters and yet, she hated people making comments about her appearance because she didn’t want to be ‘just pretty’, which is fair enough. But she would always make a fuss if you commented on the way she looked, even if it was favourable. Also, she was very gullible which is actually pointed in the book.

During the book, Cecilia and Beatrice engaged in what they called, ‘Twin telepathy’. I found it to be ridiculous and unnecessary. They would have conversations just by looking at each other. high unbelievable.

The romance…was instant. Can you hear the sighs already? I won’t dwell on it because then this would become a negative review.

I liked that One More Kiss had several plot lines, it wasn’t just centred around Beatrice even though she was the main ‘voice’. And towards the end, an event happened that I wasn’t expecting and helped to pick up the pace a little.

Overall, a little disapointing but worth a shot if you enjoy historical romances 🙂

[Thanks to Bantam Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.]

“No.” I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again….

“I dare you…”

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all….

My Review:

5 out of 5 Goodreads Stars

I received this book in January and I know there’s another month to go before it’s released but I can’t keep this review in any longer!

This book was amazing! I wish I could read books like this all the time! It was so different from the first, I wasn’t reading it and thinking of Echo and Noah, I was totally focused on these new characters. Despite reading a whole book dedicated to Noah and Echo, they proved to be brilliant secondary characters. Or, perhaps, third-y characters seeing as they weren’t very prominent in the novel other than comparison.

A good thing because you can get confused if it is too similar to the first in the series.

Gwen. Her character was nailed! When she said/done those things to poor Beth, I was holding my phone so tight I thought the screen was going to crack! (Sidenote: Kindle on the phone, everyone! I can take it to people’s houses and if I get bored I can just creep into a warm corner and read steamy romances.)

Gwen had just the right amount of gumph and the whole, “I was saving you, YOU LOVE ME!!” I wanted to hurt her face! Brilliantly written, it got me passionate and ready to defend the love of Beth and Ryan so much that at one point I collapsed into a twitching ball.

Calm. And…continue with the review.

I must admit that when I read Pushing the Limits I loved the idea of Isaiah and Beth, and although her and Ryan took some getting used to, all I can say is that Beth ended up with the right person and I’m looking forward to book three.

**writhes on floor, waiting for third book**

I really want to own this series, so I will buy all three at the same time. (Three? Kate, thats a bit similar to Simone Elkeles, dontcha think? Can’t you just…slip another book in there? A whole one, none of this novella business. ** Wink, wink**)

While reading a part of this book, i was thinking, ‘Oh my goodness. This is better than PTL!’ Thats is a very rare thing in second novels, BUT in fact, in the end, I think the two books were on the same level.

I realise that I read an eARC copy of this book, but if the published version is any better…I will preorder the third one right now.

Just to let you know, I stayed up until 2AM to finish this book, that hasn’t happened since Breaking Dawn 😛

There was NO FLAW in this book, everything just seemed spot on! Although, Beth needed to stop running away so often. I know that that was intentional, but it got a little repetitive. And she should have trusted herself more, quite excessive in her distrust.

McGarrys’ writing just seems to whisk you away to American high school and make you fall in love with a girl from a troubled background and a boy who isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks. I am ruined for life, love will never be the same because I will always say, ‘I’m sorry. You’re just not like the boys that Katie has written about. I will wait for my Noah/Ryan/ Isaiah.”

I must admit that YA boyfriends are way more reliable than REAL boyfriends.

(Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.)

Click the cover art to read my review of the first book in the series, Pushing The Limits.

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.

I preordered this one back in February, I think and now it’s here! Loved The Selection and can’t wait to sink my literary teeth into this one!

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

This is possibly the most colourful book on my shelf! Swapped with a user on Goodreads! I’ve wanted this one for ages 🙂

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love – one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Thanks for reading! Leave your links and I’ll nose around your blog and see what you got this week! Hope everyone had a good week 🙂

As Mary, Queen of Scots, languishes in the Tower of London as a prisoner of her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, war tears Scotland apart. To save her beloved homeland, a proud Highland beauty named Mary Kate MacPherson must wage her own battle when she’s forced into wedlock with a knight, Sir Adam Douglas, from the barbaric borderland of Tornary.

Even as she succumbs to her seductive husband’s sensual demands, Mary Kate vows never to give him her heart. She will belong to no man. But Adam burns with something deeper than desire. Sworn to carry out a long-awaited revenge, he won’t rest until he has vanquished his enemies.

Accused of treason, the last thing he expects is to lose his heart to the woman he’s determined to tame but never to love: his own wife.

My Review:

4 out of 5 Goodreads Stars

I can’t believe that it took me so long to pick up this book! I requested it in … and kept putting it off, as I tend to do with ebooks, but was pleasantly surprised when I found that I enjoyed it!

The first chapter was a bit long in the beginning but then Adam comes in and then it got good! He was a strapping Scotsman who had a temper on him. Nevertheless, I fell in love. When Mary Kate finds out that Adam wants to marry her, she is sure that she will never submit to him as most Scotswomen did to their husbands. Mary Kate was a fiery character, and that my friend, I enjoyed.

As a result of her bold nature, she found herself being punished in more ways than one. But it was true that they shared a chemistry together.

But when Adam’s cousin came into the mix, phew! Ladies and gentlemen, hold onto your whiskers! She was the worst! I truly hated her! The author gradually introduced her and made you dislike the very mention of her name! I was so irritated by her. But in the end, she and Mary Kate became sort of friends and all was well.

I also liked how the author added snippets of real history inside this book, so that it wasn’t just a romance novel. At the time, the Queen of Scots, was in the Tower of London as a prisoner because of Queen Elizabeth. At one point, Adam was accused of treason!

I shan’t tell you the outcome, you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Overall, this was a great read! Loved the character of Mary Kate and thought she was easy to like. Adam I fell in love with. Although he could be a bit possessive at times. The author made me care about these characters, I was upset when they were upset, I was happy when they were happy…enjoyed it immensely!

[Thanks to NetGalley and Open Road for providing me with an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.]

Thought I’d enter the original cover too. Personally, I like this one more than the newer one.

Scotland has fascinated me for as long as I’ve known that the country existed, which was probably my early childhood. My ancestors on both sides came from Scotland, the first ones from the Scottish Borders in the mid- to late-18 century. My great-great-great grandfather, Judge Andrew Scott, is considered to be the first “Supreme” Court justice in Arkansas. His brother, John Scott, as territorial representative and then first U.S. senator for Missouri, authored the statute enacted by Congress in 1819 that cut off the southern end of Missouri to form the territory John Scott called Arkansas. Then, in a fit of apparent nepotism, he prevailed upon President Monroe to appoint his younger brother, Andrew, as Arkansas Territory’s first territorial judge. Monroe later appointed Andrew the first Arkansas State Superior Court judge. My brother is a Superior Court judge today in California.

My mother was a Douglas descendant, and we also have Logans, Jamisons, Fergusons, and a host of other Scots in our various lines. My Scott grandfather loved family history and told me stories culled from our own from the time I was small, so writing about Scotland came naturally to me. I began with the 16th century, then moved back to the medieval period and am now moving forward again. Although I’ve written a number of books set in the Highlands and have ancestors who were Fergusons from Galloway or Perth and Jamisons from Clan Gunn and the Isles of Orkney, most of my Scottish ancestors hail from the Borders. I tell people I have horse thieves hanging from every branch of the family tree.

I love everything about Scotland and find much of it that seems magical.

Ailsbet loves nothing more than music; tall and red-haired, she’s impatient with the artifice and ceremony of her father’s court. Marissa adores the world of her island home and feels she has much to offer when she finally inherits the throne from her wise, good-tempered father. The trouble is that neither princess has the power–or the magic–to rule alone, and if the kingdoms can be united, which princess will end up ruling the joint land? For both, the only goal would seem to be a strategic marriage to a man who can bring his own brand of power to the throne. But will either girl be able to marry for love?

And can either of these two princesses, rivals though they have never met, afford to let the other live?

My Review:

3 out of 5 Goodreads Stars

The word that I would use to describe The Rose Throne would be bland. And that sounds horrible because I know how much work authors put into their creation. But, I have to be honest.

I couldn’t connect with either of the princesses, they just seemed so distant and emotionless.

The Taweyr and Neweyr was cool but confusing. I’m not sure if I like the gender-specific magic, it would have been more interesting if women had the killing and the violence magic and then men had the life magic instead.

The romance was certainly not different. It was instant. It was cliché. It was doomed. But not doomed. Yeah, I know right?

To be honest, when I read the synopsis I thought it would be kinda like a chick – flick but with fantasy and princesses.

I liked the idea of The Rose Throne, otherwise I wouldn’t have requested it, but it didn’t deliver.

Overall, if you’re looking for a fantasy novel some magic thrown in then I would suggest picking it up because some parts of this book were really good. For instance, I can’t fault Harrison’s writing style. It flows together perfectly. So…perfect writing, bland plot. I would read another book by Harrison if it had some good reviews by bloggers I trusted, but probably not any more from this series.

[Special thanks to NetGalley and EgmontUSA for providing me with a review copy of this book in return for an honest review.]

My name is pronounced “Metty” like my mother’s “Betty.” It is Danish, and we were all named after ancestors. I guess by the time they got to number nine (out of eleven), it was getting tricky. So I got the funny Danish name no one knew how to prounounce. In Denmark, it should be “meta” like “metaphysical.” It’s from the Greek for “pearl.” And no, it’s not short for anything. Not even Mediterannean.

I now live in Utah with my husband and 5 children, ages 5 to 14. I write during nap time, or at 4 in the morning, or while the broccoli for dinner is burning. Whenever I get a chance. I love to write the kind of books that I love to read. And I love to discover what is going to happen next, just like a reader would. I also do some racing in triathlon.

At 900 years old, Nissa is finally ready to follow her mother’s path and become the best Fairy Godmother she can. She’s not thrilled when her first assignment turns out to be a teenage human girl with self-esteem issues, but she knows she has to start somewhere. Her assignment has dealt with bullies since her freshman year and they haven’t let up. If Nissa can’t help her regain her self-confidence her future is bleak.

To complicate matters Nissa experiences all the signs that she’s met the being fated for her. This impossibility distracts her from her purpose. After all, fairies and humans aren’t meant for each other. How can her heart believe otherwise? Can Nissa successfully complete her first assignment as a Fairy Godmother? Will the fates allow Nissa and Levi to be together? And even if they do, will Levi believe Nissa once she reveals the truth?

My Review:

3 out of 5 Goodreads Stars

Can I just start off by saying that the cover is stunning? It’s what made me sign up for this tour, that and the awesome synopsis obviously!

I know that a lot of bloggers say this, but I really feel like I have to say it for Nissa. There was more telling than showing and sometimes it came across very vague. And sometimes the speech sounded forced and unreal.

I did enjoy the sweet romance! Although it was instant, I think we can drop it because Nissa is a fairy and that’s just what happens when fairies find their mate! If she was a human I wouldn’t be so forgiving!

Levi seems like a nice kind of guy, he really did love Nissa. **sigh**

And Vicky, although lacking in self esteem was really sweet and loving. At times she did annoy me when she didn’t stand up for herself, but I guess that’s just me.

The aging system puzzled me. Nissa is 900 years old. That is roughly 18 years in human life. So Nissa goes to godmother training for 3 years, wouldn’t that be like three months in human years?

Nissa had a bit of a drama queen moment.

I thought that the concept of this story was very well put together but left a little to be desired on the writing front.

Overall, Nissa is a really sweet and short read full of love and fairies and hot guys with tattoos. What more could you want?

Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult series. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her novels through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered.

Saying that I screamed when I finished this book was be a little dramatic, I kinda moaned a bit while rolling around my bed.

What a brilliant end to a series! Especially seeing as I didn’t enjoy Fever that much 😦

It’s really difficult to form my feelings for this book, so I’ll just talk about the Characters.

Cecily was even more annoying than normal. She IS only fourteen but DAYUM! I wanted to slap her for being so silly and clingy.

Linden is still weedy. But that’s what made me kinda like him. Although he needed to grow a pair and toughen up. But at the same time, I’m glad he didn’t. Because otherwise, he wouldn’t be Linden would he?

Gabriel wasn’t mentioned that much in Sever, but yeah, I still liked him!

Housemaster Vaughn is such a strange character. He reminds me of Severus Snape. So undecided about him. Was he a madman? Actually, why am I even asking that? Of course he was! But was there a good side to him as well? You’ll just have to read the book…

·There’s so much that we didn’t know about Rose that is revealed in this book. I quite liked that, but it was like we were getting to know her for the first time.

·Rhine is still one of the best female characters in YA. She isn’t overbearing and she doesn’t cry in EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER.

·I also enjoyed having more of Linden’s family in Sever. His Uncle was wacky. Reminded me of Dumbledore. (I mean, after having Vaughn as Snape it seems only right, right?)

Sever follows right off from Fever, so it’s probably be best if you re-read Fever before reading this one. Or you could always visit the Recaptians and read the spoilers so you have to read Fever again. **shameless plug**

I seriously can’t think of anything I didn’t like. Personally, the middle dragged a tiny bit for me. It wasn’t boring per se, but took a while to get back in its stride.

As mentioned, I got borrowed this from my local library but will defiantly be buying myself a copy so that my set is complete!

I would defiantly recommend reading and seeing how the series ends. Chapter 24 people, Chapter 24. That’s all I need to say. Go read it!

Lauren DeStefano (pronounced: de STEFF ano) graduated Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT in 2007. Her debut novel, WITHER, the first in The Chemical Garden Trilogy, published by Simon & Schuster BFYR, is out now.